10 Best Fights from the Terrifying Monster KO Naoya Inoue

These are the 10 Best Appearances of the KO Monster Naoya Inoue which terrifies his opponents. The impact Monster KO Naoya Inoue has made since he became a professional boxer less than 12 years ago is staggering, even when you try to assess his top 10 performances.

Adrian Hernandez, TKO 6 (April 6, 2014)

With a 5-0 record heading into his first world title fight, Naoya Inoue made things look very easy as he dominated and stopped the reigning junior flyweight division WBC it was in six rounds.

Jamie McDonnell, TKO 1 (May 25, 2018)

A great introduction to bantamweight. McDonnell, proven and solid at world level, was destroyed in 112 seconds.

Marlon Tapales, KO 10 (December 26, 2023)

A knockout victory over the dual belt holder demonstrated Naoya Inoue’s versatility at the highest level, as he claimed undisputed status in the second division.

Juan Carlos Payano, KO 1 (October 7, 2018)

The finish was arguably the most cinematic finish of Inoue’s career to date, with a whip cracker right hand that stole Payano’s balance, timed very well.

Nonito Donaire, UD 12 (7 November 2019)

A thrilling match featuring Inoue in a rare competitive match. That the injured Inoue (a fracture to his right eye bone) scored a knockdown at the end of the fight (11th round) and Donaire was able to survive, is proof of the quality that both of them have.

Omar Andres Narvaez, KO 2 (30 December 2014)

You could say, this is an appearance that attracts world attention. By displaying attacks that belie his 21-year-old age, Inoue dethroned WBO junior bantamweight king, Omar Andres Narvaez, who was making his 13th defense. Inoue knocked Narvaez down twice in the first and second rounds. The veteran, who had lost just once in his previous 46 matches, was unable to recover after the fourth fall.

Jason Moloney, KO 7 (October 31, 2020)

In Las Vegas, Inoue cleverly outclassed Jason Moloney from distance for the first six minutes before hurting his rival for the first time in the third round, with a left uppercut. A right cross stunned Moloney in the fifth round, and in the following round, Inoue dug deep into his box of tricks to drop his opponent, while backing off with a sweet left hook. His final blow, a right hand that nearly broke Moloney’s bones as he fell to the canvas in the seventh round, was the best of all.

Nonito Donaire, TKO 2 (June 7, 2022)

Whether Inoue has improved or Donaire has faded since their first meeting – which was actually a combination of both – this rematch was hardly competitive. Inoue targeted Donaire, who arrived with the WBC bantamweight title, from the moment the bell rang and scored a knockdown at the end of the first round. With the end of the match drawing near, Inoue began targeting his rival to finish the job midway through the second round.

Emmanuel Rodriguez, KO 2 (May 18, 2019)

Enraged over an incident in which his father and trainer, Shingo Inoue, was pushed by Rodriguez’s trainer, Williams Cruz, the “Monster” wasted no time in celebrating an opponent he previously considered a threat. Inoue mocked those who said this WBSS bantamweight semi-final would be a 50/50 fight with a ferocious performance, dropping Rodriguez three times and leaving his nose bleeding.

Stephen Fulton, TKO 8 (July 25, 2023)

In one of the most complete and impressive performances of 2023, but perhaps underappreciated due to Terence Crawford’s thrashing of Errol Spence Jr a few days later, Inoue hit Stephen Fulton with absolute ease. Philadelphia’s Fulton – a talented and determined fighter who was tipped as a potential winner – came in with lofty ambitions, but he was never on track to win before being saved in the eighth round.

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